Ownership situation won’t stand in way of Astros making trades

Exactly seven weeks from baseball’s trade deadline and with a last-place club that could prompt selling off present parts for the future, the Astros are viewing things the same way they did with the draft as they try not to be bogged down by ownership limbo.

Although baseball’s ownership meetings aren’t until August, Drayton McLane expects the deal to sell the team to Jim Crane to be approved before then, likely leaving the deadline in Crane’s hands.

“We think it will be completed well in advance of the deadline,” McLane said. But for now, “any trades that we’re thinking of making, we would certainly talk to Jim Crane about.”

Though the Astros won’t be in a position to sell off decade-long stars like they did last year in Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt, they do have some attractive pieces. Those come in two forms — players like Brett Myers, Wandy Rodriguez and Brandon Lyon in guaranteed contracts and those like Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn still in their arbitration years.

General manager Ed Wade didn’t bring up any specific names, but he said that no type of player is off-limits.

“Obviously we have to keep an eye on our future,” Wade said. “I think if opportunities present themselves for us to do something, I could get whatever approval I needed on both sides of the equation fairly quickly.”

Giants sign Hall

The Astros picked up a bit of salary relief when the Giants signed former Astros second baseman Bill Hall to replace the injured Freddy Sanchez.

Because nobody claimed Hall on waivers, the Astros are on the hook for almost everything left of the $3 million contract (which also came with a $250,000 buyout). The Giants will pay Hall the prorated minimum salary, roughly $250,000, while the Astros will pay the remainder.

Hall hit just .224 with a .272 on-base percentage, a .340 slugging percentage and 55 strikeouts in 147 at-bats before being released late in the evening June 3.

Familiar face

Chipper Jones debuted for the Braves when South Carolina native Jordan Lyles was 2 years old and began playing at an All-Star level when Lyles was 5 and entering consciousness of the Southern devotion to Braves baseball.

So it was probably appropriate that Jones played a big part in Lyles’ home debut, Saturday, rolling into a double play to get the rookie out of big trouble
in the first inning but gapping an RBI double in the fourth.

“I didn’t really think about it when he came up to the plate, but it kind of hit me when he put that in the gap,” Lyles said. “I’ve seen that before.

“It was a great experience to come out here and face some guys I’ve seen on TV.”

Jones, who also grounded out against Lyles in the fourth, summed it up simply for the man 171/2 years his junior: “I was really impressed with him.”

Odds and ends

The Astros honored television play-by-play man Bill Brown for his 25 years of service to the organization as owner Drayton McLane presented him with a gift that included the original news release announcing his addition to the broadcast crew. … With Brett Wallace sitting against a lefthanded pitcher, the Astros gave Jason Bourgeois his first start in left field since his return from the disabled list, pushing Carlos Lee over to first base. Bourgeois hit leadoff over the lefthanded-hitting Michael Bourn in part to avoid too big a run of righties in the middle. … The Astros announced the signing of seven more draft picks, OF Brandon Meredith (sixth round), OF Jarvis Reynolds (seventh), LHP Scott Zuloaga (16th), SS James Howick (21st), 2B Ruben Sosa (23rd), RHP James Propst (38th) and LHP James Hardoin (47th).